David Beckham signs deal to be brand ambassador for Chinese giant Alibaba

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has signed former England captain David Beckham as its brand ambassador to kick off its UEFA Euro 2024 marketing campaign.

Beckham will become a global brand ambassador for the Chinese company’s low-cost marketplace AliExpress, in a deal that is being touted as the company’s largest endorsement to date.

Alibaba announced the partnership on Monday as part of its promotional campaign for Euro 2024, which will begin next month, and for which Alibaba is also a sponsor.

Beckham will lead Alibaba’s “Score More with AliExpress” campaign, which is being sold as featuring special deals to celebrate the tournament.

It has not been disclosed how much Beckham is due to earn from the commercial deal with a company perhaps most famous for founder Jack Ma’s rapid rise and even faster fall after falling out with the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

“AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to Uefa Euro 2024 this summer, by offering them great prizes as the action takes place on the pitch,” Beckham was quoted as saying.

AliExpress is joining other major Chinese companies, such as electric vehicle maker BYD and electronics giant Vivo, in sponsoring the Euros.

Although Alibaba has been somewhat slower to enter the international market, it has reported strong earnings recently, according to Euronews. In the January to March quarter this year, the company’s international division (AIDC) saw a 45 per cent year-on-year increase in revenues.

“The strong performance was driven by growth of AIDC’s cross-border businesses, in particular growth contributed by the Choice business on AliExpress,” said the firm’s earnings report.

The Beckham endorsement deal comes in the wake of the European Commission launching a formal investigation in March against AliExpress.

The investigation relates to concerns over the dissemination of illegal and harmful goods, including fake medicines and products that are not compliant with EU regulations.

a spokesperson for AliExpress said at the time that the company has “been working with, and will continue to work with, the relevant authorities on making sure we comply with applicable standards and will continue to ensure that we will be able to meet the requirements of the DSA”.

“AliExpress is committed to creating a safe and compliant marketplace for all consumers,” the spokesperson added.